PLOS Global Public Health · 15 authors, 6 centres
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This qualitative interview study explored the lived experiences of treatment burden for 32 adults with multimorbidity in urban and rural Malawi. The central finding is that the burden of treatment includes not only managing therapies but also the significant burden of 'lack'—of treatments, services, and resources.
The study used semi-structured in-depth interviews with 32 people living with at least two long-term conditions (e.g., hypertension, type 2 diabetes, HIV) in urban and rural Malawi. A central novel finding was the burden of 'lack'—of medicines, specialist care, and healthcare resources—driven by poverty and inadequate healthcare systems, which constrained patients' capacity. Supportive social networks were identified as key enabling features. The findings suggest that treatment burden in low- and middle-income contexts has a distinct dimension related to service scarcity, which should be integrated into future conceptualizations and measures.
